Self-loading railroad car



April 25, 1967 R. R. SCHEINERT SELF-LOADING RAILROAD CAR 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 19, 1965 N INVENTOR.

flaw/w /2 5045/1697 W, m AM Arm/awa s April 1967 R. R. SCHEINERT 3,315,825

SELF-LOADING RAILROAD CAR Filed May 19, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 V INVENTOR. Exam/20 Sew/weer M, W with! Amok/vars 4 April 25, 1967 R. R. SCHEINERT SELF-LOADING RAILROAD CAR Filed May 19, 1965 4 Shets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. flaw/42o Sax/swear Arrow/6Y5 April 1967 R. R. SCHEINERT I SELF-LOADING RAILROAD CAR 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 19, 1965 HQK - I NVENTOR Ema/12a 8 Sow/M27 BY M AM m Ava/Mew United States Patent 3,315,825 SELF-LOADING RAILROAD CAR Richard R. Scheinert, Waukegan, Ill., assignor to Outboard Marine Corporation, Waukegan, 11]., a corporation of Deiaware Filed May 19, 1965, Ser. No. 456,911 9 Claims. (Cl. 21475) This invention relates to a railroad car, and, more particularly, to a self-unloading railroad car.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a railroad car having an unloading means which can be selectively positioned for loading and unloading and for storage during travel. In accordance with the invention, the railroad car is provided with horizontal track means and vertical track means at the unloading end of the car. A boom including track means is carried on the railroad car for vertical movement on the vertical track means to afford selective alignment of the boom with the horizontal track means and for swinging movement of the boom from a horizontal position to a vertical position for storage. A carriage which is provided with a hoist means and moving means is movable along the boom track means and the horizontal track means to and from the boom when the boom track means are horizontally aligned with the horizontal track means. Accordingly, the railroad car can load or unload articles, such as boats, to and from the railroad car.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, plan view of a railroad car showing various of the features of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view, on a reduced scale and slightly diagrammatic, showing a portion of the railroad car shown in FIGURES 1 through 3.

Referring now to the drawings, the railroad car generally includes a frame which is broadly identified by the numeral 11 (see FIGURE 2) and which supports first, second and third storage levels 12, 14 and 16 respectively and horizontal track means at each level in the form of tracks 18, 20 and 22 on each side of the railroad car 10 to form three pair of parallel track sets. The tracks 18,

20 and 22 generally extend the length of the railroad car 10 and are res-epectively associated with the levels 12, 14 and 16.

On the frame 11 is means mounting a boom 34 having track means 35 for movement of the boom 34 between an extended position and a retracted position and for vertical movement of the boom relative to the frame 11 to afford selective alignment of the boom track means 35 with the horizontal tracks 18, 20, and 22 on the frame 11. More specifically, in the disclosed construction, the unloading end 23 of the railroad car 10 includes means in the form of a vertical track or guide 24 on each side of the railroad car 10. The vertical tracks 24 generally extend the height of the railroad car 10 and are fixed to a part 25 (see FIG. -1) of the railroad car frame 11 (shown in FIG. 2).

Movably carried on the vertical tracks are boom supports 26 each including a vertical support or member 28 and means in the form of rollers 30 respectively engaged with the vertical tracks 24, for affording movement of the boom supports 26 along the vertical tracks 24. The vertical members 28 are respectively connected to the ends of the boom supports 26 and reinforced by plates 31 (shown best in FIGURE 4). Means in the form of a first hoist 32 and cables extending from the hoist is carried on the railroad car 10 for lifting and lowering the boom supports 26 along the vertical tracks 24.

A boom 34, including means in the form of tracks-35, is pivotally connected to the boom supports 26 by suitable pivotal connections at '36 for swinging movement between a horizontal position (shown in solid lines in FIGURE 2) and a vertical position (shown in phantom lines in FIGURE 2). The boom supports 26, the rollers 30 and the pivotal connections 36 comprise means for mounting the boom 34 on the vertical tracks 24 for movement of the boom 34 along the vertical tracks 24 and for swinging movement of the'boom 34 relative to the vertical tracks 24 between said horizontal and vertical positions. Means in the form of a second hoist 38 is carried on the railroad car 10 for affording pivotal movement of the boom 34 relative to the boom supports 26 between the horizontal and vertical positions.

A carriage 40 is provided with means in the form of wheels 41 engageable with the boom tracks 35 and selectively engageable with the horizontal railroad tracks 18, 2t and 22 for affording movement of the carriage 40 along the boom tracks 35 and selectively along the horizontal tracks 18, 20 and 22. The carriage 40 includes an extended arm 42 and means in the form of hoists 44 and 45 for raising and lowering articles, such as boats, from and to the railroad car 10. The carriage 40 is driven or propelled to and from the boom 34 by means in the form of an electric motor 46 drivingly connected to a pair of rubber drive wheels 47 by a conventional pulley and drive belt arrangement. The rubber wheels 47 are located to maintain frictional driving contact with the respective corresponding pairs of overhead runners 48, 49 and 5!) respectively associated with the levels 12, 14 and 16 Supporting means in the form of steel cables 51 are respectively connected between the boom 34 and the vertical members 28. The boom supports 26 are locked relative to the vertical tracks 24 by positive locking means comprising a locking plate 52 fixed to each of the boom supports 26 and having an opening 54. The openings 54 are alignable with the corresponding openings 56 which are disposed in the vertical tracks 24, and which are associated with the levels 12, 14 and 16. When the boom tracks 35 are aligned with oneof the horizontal track sets 18, 2t) and 22, the openings 54 and 56 are aligned and locking pins 58 are inserted therein.

In operation, when the boom 34 is in the horizontal position, the boom can be raised to any of the three levels 12, 14 and 16 by the hoist 32. For example, when unloading at the second level 14, the boom 34 is raised to the second level 14 so that the boom tracks 35 are aligned with the horizontal tracks 20, and the boom 34 is locked in that position by the locking pins 58. The carriage 40 is then driven 'by the electric motor 46 (as previously described) from the boom 34 and onto the horizontal tracks 20.0f the railroad car 10. An article, such as a boat (shown in phantom lines in FIGURE 2), is raised from the bed of the second level 14 by the hoists 44 and 45, and the carriage 40, including the boat, is driven onto the boom 34 where the boat is lowered to the ground or the dock by the hoists 44 and 45. For loading at the second level, the operation described above is reversed. These same operaitons are applicable to loading and unloading at the first and third level 18 and 22 respectively.

When the railroad car 10 is to be moved or transported, the boom 34 is lowered to one of the levels 12, 14 and 16 so that the boom tracks 35 are aligned with the corresponding horizontal tracks 18, 20 or 22. The carriage 40 is then run into the railroad car 10 and secured thereto by suitable securing means (not shown). The boom 34 is then swung to the vertical position by the second hoist 38 and lowered until the top thereof is at least even with the top of the railroad car 10. The boom 34 is secured to the railroad car by suitable securing means (not shown) to prevent any displacement thereof, after which time the railroad car 10 is ready for traveling.

This invention is not limited to the specifically described railroad car 10. For example, this invention contemplates a railroad car having one level and having a boom which is not swingable between horizontal and vertical positions but which can be retracted into the railroad car for storage. In such a case, the railroad car can include means in the form of a telescoping boom for movement between a storage position and a position of use when the boom tracks are in horizontal alignment with the horizontal tracks.

Various of the features of the present invention are set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-level railroad car including horizontal track means for each level, vertical track means at one end of said railroad car, a boom support having means engaged with said vertical track means for aifording movement of said boom support along said vertical track means, a boom including track means, said boom being pivotally connected with said boom support for swinging movement between a horizontal position and a vertical position, a first hoist means for lifting and lowering said boom support along said vertical track means to afford selective alignment of said boom track means with any of said horizontal track means, second hoist means for affording pivotal movement of said boom relative to said boom support between said horizontal and vertical positions, a carriage including article hoist means, means on said carriage engageable with said boom track means and with said horizontal track means for affording movement of said carriage along said boom track means and said horizontal track means and to and from said boom when said boom track means are horizontally aligned with any of said horizontal track means, and means for moving said carriage on said boom track means and said horizontal track means.

2. A railroad car in accordance with claim 1 including means for locking said boom in a given position on said vertical track means.

3. A railroad car in accordance with claim 1 including vertical members respectively connected to said boom supports and cables connected between said vertical members and said boom.

4. A railroad car in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for moving said carriage includes overhead runners associated with each level of said railroad car, an electric motor, and rubber drive wheels drivingly connected to said motor and frictionally engaged with said overhead runners.

means for lifting and lowering said boom along said vertical track means to afford selective alignment of said boom track means with any of said horizontal track means, a second hoist for swingably moving said boom between said horizontal and vertical positions, a carriage including hoist means and means for affording movement of said carriage along said boom track means and said horizontal track means and to and from said boom when said boom track means are horizontally aligned with said horizontal track means, and means for moving said carriage on said boom track means and said horizontal track means.

7. A multi-level railroad car including horizontal track means for each level, vertical track means, a boom support having means for affording movement of said boom support along said vertical track means, a boom including track means, said boom being pivotally connected with said boom support for swinging movement of said boom between a horizontal position and a vertical position, first hoist means for lifting and lowering said boom support along said vertical track means to aiford selective alignment of said boom track means with any of said horizontal track means, second hoist means for affording pivotal movement of said boom relative to said boom support between said horizontal and vertical positions, and a carriage including article hoist means and means for moving said carriage on said boom track means and said horizontal track means when said boom track means are horizontally aligned with said horizontal track means.

8. A multi-level railroad car including horizontal track means for each level, vertical track means, a boom support having means for affording movement of said boom support along vertical track means, a boom connected with said boom support and including track means, a hoist means for lifting and lowering said boom support along said vertical track means to afford selective alignment of said boom track means with any of said horizontal track means, and a carriage provided with article hoist means and means for moving said carriage along said boom track means and said horizontal track means when said boom track means are horizontally aligned with said horizontal track means.

9. A multi-level car including a frame supporting horizontal track means for each level, a boom including track means, means mounting said boom on said frame for movement of said boom between an extended position and a retracted position and for vertical movement of said boom relative to said frame to aiford selective alignment of said horizontal track means and said boom track means, and a carriage including article hoisting means and means for affording movement of said carriage along said horizontal track means and to and from and along said boom track means when said boom track means are horizontally aligned with said horizontal track means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,442,549 6/ 1948 Pearlman. 3,074,563 1/1963 Montgomery 104-131 X 3,082,887 3/1963 Brooks 21416 3,142,396 7/ 1964 P-auley et a1.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT G. SHERIDAN, Examiner. 

1. A MULTI-LEVEL RAILROAD CAR INCLUDING HORIZONTAL TRACK MEANS FOR EACH LEVEL, VERTICAL TRACK MEANS AT ONE END OF SAID RAILROAD CAR, A BOOM SUPPORT HAVING MEANS ENGAGED WITH SAID VERTICAL TRACK MEANS FOR AFFORDING MOVEMENT OF SAID BOOM SUPPORT ALONG SAID VERTICAL TRACK MEANS, A BOOM INCLUDING TRACK MEANS, SAID BOOM BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED WITH SAID BOOM SUPPORT FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT BETWEEN A HORIZONTAL POSITION AND A VERTICAL POSITION, A FIRST HOIST MEANS FOR LIFTING AND LOWERING SAID BOOM SUPPORT ALONG SAID VERTICAL TRACK MEANS TO AFFORD SELECTIVE ALIGNMENT OF SAID BOOM TRACK MEANS WITH ANY OF SAID HORIZONTAL TRACK MEANS, SECOND HOIST MEANS FOR AFFORDING PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID BOOM RELATIVE TO SAID BOOM SUPPORT BETWEEN SAID HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL POSITIONS, A CARRIAGE INCLUDING ARTICLE HOIST MEANS, MEANS ON SAID CARRIAGE ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID BOOM TRACK MEANS AND WITH SAID HORIZONTAL TRACK MEANS FOR AFFORDING MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE ALONG SAID BOOM TRACK MEANS AND SAID HORIZONTAL TRACK MEANS AND TO AND FROM SAID BOOM WHEN SAID BOOM TRACK MEANS ARE HORIZONTALLY ALIGNED WITH ANY OF SAID HORIZONTAL TRACK MEANS, AND MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CARRIAGE ON SAID BOOM TRACK MEANS AND SAID HORIZONTAL TRACK MEANS. 